John Boot, 2nd Baron Trent

Who was John Boot, 2nd Baron Trent?

John Campbell Boot, 2nd Baron Trent KBE was the son of the Jesse Boot who turned the Boots Company, founded by his father John Boot, into a major national company. He was educated at The Leys School and Jesus College, Cambridge and served in the First World War. In 1914 he married Margaret Pyman and had four daughters.

John Campbell Boot continued his father's expansion of the company. Like his father he was also a philanthropist who was keenly involved with the City of Nottingham. In 1944 he was appointed President of University College Nottingham, and after it was granted full university status in 1948 as the University of Nottingham became its first Chancellor.

Following John Boot's retirement as Chancellor, the Boots Company endowed the Lord Trent Chair of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Lady Trent Chair of Chemical Engineering in his honour.